New Delhi. Lok Sabha MP and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi will campaign in Haryana today. He will address election rallies in Assandh and Barwala. Rahul Gandhi’s rally is expected to bring unity in the party as the central leadership has managed to establish an uneasy truce between the rival leaders. Kumari Selja, who has stayed away from the election campaign, will join Rahul Gandhi’s rally along with Randeep Surjewala and former Haryana Chief Minister Bhupendra Hooda. Election managers have indicated that factionalism is affecting the cadre and election campaign. This temporary agreement among Congress leaders was reached on Sunday after Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge heard their grievances. Selja has announced the resumption of the election campaign, but has also publicly expressed her displeasure with Hooda.
On Wednesday, he posted his campaign plans on ‘X’, which includes Rahul Gandhi’s rally and three other public meetings in Tohana and Hisar. Rahul Gandhi is expected to campaign in Haryana for the next three days. Amid questions being raised over the absence of Congress’ star campaigner Rahul Gandhi and party general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra in Haryana, a section of the party claimed that they have kept their top leaders back for a last ditch effort, but sources indicated that Rahul Gandhi was unhappy with the way the election was being managed. Rahul Gandhi was also not present during the launch of the Congress’ seven guarantees for Haryana on September 18 in view of the elections. He was in the national capital during this time. Sources say he is unhappy with the way the manifesto was prepared. He believed that the state leaders announced the guarantees before the formal launch on their own.
No reason was given for Rahul Gandhi’s absence during the announcement of guarantees. Rahul Gandhi was also said to be angry over the factionalism after the selection of candidates, which included Selja’s absence from campaigning for almost two weeks and the decision to limit Surjewala to only a few areas. Before leaving for the US earlier this month, he had asked to reconvene the Central Election Committee meeting. The committee had almost found a way to address the concerns of Selja and Surjewala. He was also angry with the Hooda camp that he was not liberal and did not believe in taking everyone along.